Norway's participation ininternational peace operations

The UN peace forces have helped reduce tension in many regions. The award of the Nobel Peace Prize in 1988 confirms that the UN forces have played a positive peacekeeping role. Since 1988 the UN has established more operations than during the last 40 years. The increased importance of the UNs role in the issues related to international peace and security is manifested by this expansion. This is expected to continue. Military, medical and humanitarian assistance is also regarded as a means of advancing national security since UN operations contribute to subduing and stabilizing volatile situations.

The Storting decided in 1964 that Norwegian contingents can be made available to the United Nations for peace operations. The Defence Establishment has earmarked a special standby force for this task, composed of voluntary personnel, which can be called upon at short notice following a direct request from the UN. The expansion that has taken place, both concerning the number of UN operations and their tasks, has induced the need to undertake a general review and updating with regard to the experience we have gained, as well as the setting for our military UN engagements. This resulted in a White Paper to the Storting simultaneously with the Long-Term Report. The White Paper (St. meld. no. 14 1992-93), discussed inter alia an extension of the UN contingent from 1330 to 2022 persons. The Storting decided in 1993 to extend the force according to those guidelines described in the White Paper.

A new White Paper was presented in June 1994, St meld. no. 46 (1993-94); "Theuse of Norwegian forces abroad". This is partly a follow-up of the White Paper no. 14 (1992-93). The White Paper views Norway's military international engagement in an overall perspective. Both our UN and NATO engagements are discussed.

In recent years, there has been an increased focus on international peace operations on the international political agenda. At the same time, the operations have to a higher degree become multi-functional with more complex tasks. Military, political, humanitarian, economic and social conditions need, to a higher degree than before, to be viewed in context. This is a direct consequence of the international development and puts high demands on the use of military forces in crisis management. Another aspect of this development is that other actors than the UN have been more involved in international peace operations. A good example in this connections is the NATO SFOR (Stabilisation Force) in Bosnia-Hercegovina. This also implies, for instance, that the Norwegian Defence stand-by force for participation in international peace operations no longer may be viewed just as a UN stand-by force, however, also as a force to be used in peace operations led by other organizations, under UN or OSCE mandate.

The above mentioned development and the increase in Norways military engagement abroad has made it more important to underline the significance of the military engagement abroad as an integrated part of Norwegian security and defence policy. At the same time, it has become evident that the considerations of the preconditions for Norwegian participation in international peace operations can not be made once for all. It must be a continuous process where our experiences help us to face future challenges.

Norway has contributed military personnel in 26 peace operations since 1947: in the Balkans, the Middle East, Kashmir, Korea, the Congo, Angola, El Salvador, Somalia, the former Yugoslavia and Guatemala.

More than 55 000 Norwegians have taken part in these operations. In addition, Norway participated with the Coast Guard vessel "Andenes" in the UN authorized embargo against Iraq from September 1990 to October 1991, and with a field hospital in the multi-national force which, according to resolutions passed by the UN Security Council, forced Iraq out of Kuwait.

In the autumn 1998, Norway participates in 8 peace operations: Lebanon (UNIFIL, 643 persons), Bosnia-Hercegovina (SFOR, approx 800 persons), the Middle East (UNTSO, 12 persons), East Slovenia (UNTAES, 6 persons), the Prevlaka Peninsula (UNMOP, 1 person), Macedonia (UNPREDEP, 42 persons), Angola (MONUA, 3 persons) and Sinai (MFO, 6 persons).

A total of 1450 Norwegian officers and soldiers makes Norway a major contributor to peace operations.

The Government has decided to terminate the Norwegian engagement in UNIFIL from December 1998.